DISCOUNTS- LivingSocial, Cobone and MarhabaDealsare great websites that offer discounts on everything from restaurants, massages, to seaplane tours around the city. They post daily deals and you can sign up to receive email notice of their offers. The Entertainer Guides also offer a way to save with buy one get one coupons for all kinds of activities and restaurants. You can buy them at bookstores and grocery stores in the UAE. Grocery Shopping Listed are some of the major supermarkets in Dubai. (The closest grocery shops to the resident housing are on the Google map under "About Dubai." Deals and Robinsons are small, but offer the most convenient basics close-to-home.) Lulu’s Hypermarket – next door to the school. Sells household items, cheap clothing, and as well food. Probably the least expensive major supermarket in Dubai. Good selection of Meat, fruit and vegetables. The best one-stop shop (grocery’s, appliances, etc.) much less busy then Carrefour. Lulu’s is cheaper (for most, but not all items) and much more pleasant to shop. Carrefour – located in the Mall of The Emirates – about 300‐400m from school. A French Hypermarket that is more expensive than Lulu’s for many products, but can be cheaper for a few products. Good fresh seafood market. Good selection of meat, fruit and vegetables. Has more stuff than Lulu’s but is usually very crowded. Spinneys – located at various places around Dubai. Pork and ham products are available. Overall prices are more expensive than both Lulu’s and Carrefour. Choithrams‐ located at various places around Dubai – there is one located in the Greens for those living there. Good bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. Usually as expensive as Spinneys if not slightly more so. Other supermarkets include – Park N Shop (best bacon)and Geant (in Ibn Battuta nearest to Discovery Gardens) Most food items are available in Dubai. Safestway on Sheik Zayed Road has lots of American food. If you stock up, it can be expensive, but it’s worth it sometimes! Dubai Co-Op by Safa Park. Very cheap vegetables and other food. Can be busy, but excellent prices. It’s like a Wal Mart. “Things I have yet to find in Dubai – ketchup chips, Miracle Whip, La Grille steak/chicken/vegetable spices. Bring these if you love them.” Chili powder – they have only HOT, SPICY chili powder, not the kind we use to put in chili. You can find black beans at the Choithrams in the Greens and the bottom shelf of the bean aisle at LuLu’s. Shopping Shopping malls – include Mall of The Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Mercato, Dubai Outlet Mall, there is an International Shopping Festival held every year and most stores are greatly discounted;Avoid malls in the evening, unless you like crowds. Markets/souqs include Dragon Mart, Gold Souq, Spice Souq, Al Bastakiya, Covent Garden. Friday morning/early afternoon is the best time to explore the city since everyone is in church/mosque. Bargains: Dubai Outlet Mall. Good prices, great after the Dubai sales, which end in February. Dubai Alain Road. Approx 25 minutes from the school. Carpets: Carrefour (best prices), or wait until the International Shopping Festival at Global Village and go to the Afghan tent. Crockery and Cutlery – IKEA, Marks and Spencers, Home Centre and Debenhams all have theseitems. For cheaper items try Dragon Mart. Children’s clothes and shoes – malls everywhere with all name brands. Cheaper clothing available at Dragon Mart. Adult clothing and shoe stores‐malls everywhere with all name brands Electrical goods – Dragon Mart, Jumbos, Jackies Electronics, Sharaf DG, Carrefours, Geant Furniture Stores‐IKEA, Home Centre, Marina, homewares stores in Al Quoz, The One Ikea – quality, inexpensive items for settling in. (Festival City) Linen ‐ IKEA, Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, Dragon Mart, cheaper and poorer quality sheets available at Lulu’s. Most adult beds provided are UAE queen size – most queen size bedding should fit but to be safe it may be better to bring king size. Bring pillow with case, bed sheets, and shower curtain (I think they only leave the rod). If coming from UK bed linen will be too small. I brought king-size sheets that were way too small! Sporting Goods – Studio R, Go Sports, Adidas, Nike, Nike Golf, Saucony, RipCurl all have stores in the major malls. If you prefer a specific brand of running shoes you may want to bring them with you as shoes can be expensive when not on sale. New Balance difficult to get. Swim suitscan be expensive and difficult to come by. Studio R – quality sports clothes for a low cost (located in the Dubai Outlet Mall) Soft Furnishings‐IKEA, Debenhams, Marks and Spencers, Marina, The One Hardware – ACE Hardware at various locations around Dubai. Plant Street (located in Satwa; go down Al Wasl Road into Jumeirah 1‐ turn right at the lights beside Iranian Hospital) A great place to buy plants for home/school. It’s much cheaper than what you see inthe stores and the plants are all very healthy/ lots of selection. Also The Garden Center offSheikh Zayed Road has a large selection of plants and pots but can be very expensive.
Grocery Shopping
Listed are some of the major supermarkets in Dubai.
(The closest grocery shops to the resident housing are on the Google map under "About Dubai." Deals and Robinsons are small, but offer the most convenient basics close-to-home.)
Lulu’s Hypermarket – next door to the school. Sells household items, cheap clothing, and as well food. Probably the least expensive major supermarket in Dubai. Good selection of
Meat, fruit and vegetables. The best one-stop shop (grocery’s, appliances, etc.) much less busy then Carrefour. Lulu’s is cheaper (for most, but not all items) and much more pleasant to shop.
Carrefour – located in the Mall of The Emirates – about 300‐400m from school. A French
Hypermarket that is more expensive than Lulu’s for many products, but can be cheaper for a
few products. Good fresh seafood market. Good selection of meat, fruit and vegetables.
Has more stuff than Lulu’s but is usually very crowded.
Spinneys – located at various places around Dubai. Pork and ham products are available.
Overall prices are more expensive than both Lulu’s and Carrefour.
Choithrams‐ located at various places around Dubai – there is one located in the Greens for
those living there. Good bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. Usually as expensive as
Spinneys if not slightly more so.
Other supermarkets include – Park N Shop (best bacon) and Geant (in Ibn Battuta nearest to Discovery Gardens)
Most food items are available in Dubai.
Safestway on Sheik Zayed Road has lots of American food. If you stock up, it can be expensive, but it’s worth it sometimes!
Dubai Co-Op by Safa Park. Very cheap vegetables and other food. Can be busy, but excellent prices. It’s like a Wal Mart.
“Things I have yet to find in Dubai – ketchup chips, Miracle Whip, La
Grille steak/chicken/vegetable spices. Bring these if you love them.”
Chili powder – they have only HOT, SPICY chili powder, not the kind we use to put in chili.
You can find black beans at the Choithrams in the Greens and the bottom shelf of the bean aisle
at LuLu’s.
Shopping
Shopping malls – include Mall of The Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Mercato,
Dubai Outlet Mall, there is an International Shopping Festival held every year and most stores
are greatly discounted; Avoid malls in the evening, unless you like crowds.
Markets/souqs include Dragon Mart, Gold Souq, Spice Souq, Al Bastakiya, Covent Garden. Friday morning/early afternoon is the best time to explore the city since everyone is in church/mosque.
Bargains: Dubai Outlet Mall. Good prices, great after the Dubai sales, which end in February. Dubai Alain Road. Approx 25 minutes from the school.
Carpets: Carrefour (best prices), or wait until the International Shopping Festival at Global
Village and go to the Afghan tent.
Crockery and Cutlery – IKEA, Marks and Spencers, Home Centre and Debenhams all have theseitems. For cheaper items try Dragon Mart.
Children’s clothes and shoes – malls everywhere with all name brands. Cheaper clothing
available at Dragon Mart.
Adult clothing and shoe stores‐ malls everywhere with all name brands
Electrical goods – Dragon Mart, Jumbos, Jackies Electronics, Sharaf DG, Carrefours, Geant
Furniture Stores‐ IKEA, Home Centre, Marina, homewares stores in Al Quoz, The One
Ikea – quality, inexpensive items for settling in. (Festival City)
Linen ‐ IKEA, Marks and Spencers, Debenhams, Dragon Mart, cheaper and poorer quality
sheets available at Lulu’s.
Most adult beds provided are UAE queen size – most queen size
bedding should fit but to be safe it may be better to bring king size.
Bring pillow with case, bed sheets, and shower curtain (I think they only leave the rod).
If coming from UK bed linen will be too small. I brought king-size sheets that were way
too small!
Sporting Goods – Studio R, Go Sports, Adidas, Nike, Nike Golf, Saucony, RipCurl all have stores in the major malls. If you prefer a specific brand of running shoes you may want to bring them with you as shoes can be expensive when not on sale. New Balance difficult to get. Swim suits can be expensive and difficult to come by.
Studio R – quality sports clothes for a low cost (located in the Dubai Outlet Mall)
Soft Furnishings‐ IKEA, Debenhams, Marks and Spencers, Marina, The One
Hardware – ACE Hardware at various locations around Dubai.
Plant Street (located in Satwa; go down Al Wasl Road into Jumeirah 1‐ turn right at the lights beside Iranian Hospital) A great place to buy plants for home/school. It’s much cheaper than what you see inthe stores and the plants are all very healthy/ lots of selection. Also The Garden Center off Sheikh Zayed Road has a large selection of plants and pots but can be very expensive.